Sons et lettres: A Pronunciation Method for Intermediate-level French

92 Diphthongs. One regular and distinguishing feature of English is the presence of diphthongs , sounds that begin with one vowel sound and end in another sound within the same syllable. For example, if you say the word how , slowly, elongating the vowel, you will notice that the vowel begins with ah (/a/) and ends with w (/w/). Repeat the word slowly a few times and notice both the change in the vowel sound and the change in the shape of your lips: it is the movement of the lips, the jaw, and the tongue that produces the diphthong. English has four other diphthongs, which can be heard in the words show , say , high , and boy . But while diphthongs are a standard feature of American English, they are not a feature of continental French, and it is important to avoid them by training oneself to produce vowels in a French way. Here are some suggestions on how to do this: PRACTICE VOWELS by sounding out individual syllables slowly: tout , jour , tou-jours . For each syllable, the vowel is the same and the position of your lips doesn’t change. Say the three words in succession while maintaining the position of your mouth, lips and tongue; if you can prolong both syllables of toujours without altering the vowel sound, you are doing it correctly. Then try contrasting vowels in the same way, lengthening the vowels and listening to be sure they don’t change: beau , thé , beau-té . One factor that can affect the vowel sound is the consonsants that precede and follow it in a syllable. In English, these consonants alter the vowel slightly. You can practice reducing this interference with the following technique: before pronouncing the syllable, form your mouth to the shape of its vowel, then say the initial consonant(s) through the shape of the vowel. For example, to produce tout , first say ou ; then, without changing the shape of your lips, say tout (saying the /t/ through the vowel shape). Similarly, with the word foule (crowd), say the /f/ through the shape for ou , and make sure that the articulation of the final /l/ does not alter the shape of the vowel (as it would in English school , for example). ꕺ REGIONAL DIFFERENCES While diphthongs are not a feature in standard, continental French, they are common in certain regional varieties of French. If you travel to Québec or to the Midi (the south of France), for example, you will notice diphthongs as a regular feature of the regional accent.